Five family head (Mogajis) of Soun of Ogbomoso ruling houses have knocked embattled Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, Imam Teliat Olushina Ayilara for allegedly insulting the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye consistently.
The ruling houses are Aburumaku, Gbagun, Laoye, Bolanta and Odunaro.
Representatives of these ruling houses include: Prince Lamidi Itabiyi (Mogaji Aburumaku Ruling House); Prince Sikiru Oyelami (Mogaji Gbagun Ruling House); Prince Olawole Olaoye (Mogaji Laoye Ruling House); Prince Oyebamiji Oyedeji (Rep Bolanta Ruling House) and Prince Ilufoye Olayode (Mogaji Odunaro Ruling House).
The Ayilara’s family had disowned him over alleged attacks on the Soun, describing him as an impostor, using social media to allegedly blackmail the Soun of Ogbomoso.
Ruling houses in Ogbomoso at a briefing lamented the consistent attack on Soun by the Chief Imam has polarised Muslim community and the whole of Ogbomosoland.
They warned the Chief Imam to desist from further abuse on Soun, saying by abusing the monarch, the Chief Imam was desecrating exalted throne of Soun and by extension people of Ogbomoso.
According to them: “Ayilara’s insults against the Kabiyesi are infuriating. We condemn and denounce his impudence and actions. He is warned to stop talking about the Soun; he should sort out his problem with his family as it has nothing to do with our revered Kabiyesi.
“He should never mention Soun’s name in the imbroglio again because his utterances are distracting and creating disaffection. Moreover, all the recent appointments he made are null and void, because he never obtained the approval of the Soun in accordance with custom and tradition.
“For him to have taken Soun to court is sacrilegious! How can you sue someone who installed you? Soun stool has nothing to do with whether you are a Christian or Muslim; it is an institution that transcends such absurdity.
“We reaffirm the Ogbomoso Central Mosque is the property of Soun, it belongs to the King. We reiterate the Soun ruling houses express disapproval to the impudent acts of the Chief Imam, which is a defilement of the sanctity of the throne of our forefathers.
“However, we are constricted by the court cases and we await their verdicts. In the interim, we refuse to be distracted or be drawn into the shenanigans of the Imam and his cohorts, we restate we will not take such from him again.
“What is the genesis of the problem? The Imam Ayilara family alleged he is not a bonafide member of the family and the Kabiyesi set up different panels to look into it. The recommendation of the different panels is that he steps aside while he sorts out the matter with the family.
“The Kabiyesi refuses to implement the recommendation after some eminent personalities including Senator Ayo Adeseun and Dr. Saka Balogun, appealed on his behalf that they should be given seven days (which took effect from October 23rd,2023) to make amends. But up till date they never returned.
“However, instead of the matter to fade away, it is being exacerbated by the Chief Imam himself, as he refuses to toe the path of peace. Rather, he is promoting lies and more dastardly, he is abusing the Kabiyesi. Not only that, he instituted court cases against the Soun and the Soun-in-Council. This has never happened in the history of Ogbomoso that a Chief Imam will sue Soun to court.
“Initially, we took it with a pinch of salt that it will fizzle out naturally on the basis that it is a religious matter expected to have the fear of God. We are bewildered and alarmed by the lies being peddled by the Chief Imam on the matter and more importantly, his dragging the Soun, Alayeluwa Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III, the Soun of Ogbomosoland, into the matter and abusing the Kabiyesi. This, we take exception to.”
